Sling assembly



Sept. 26, 1967 R A. HOLMES 3,343,862

SLING ASSEMBLY Filed June 14, 1965 INVENTOR.

FIG. 5 6 RALPH HOLMES United States Patent 3,343,862 SLING ASSEMBLY Ralph A. Holmes, 1212 NE. 63rd, Portland, Oreg. 97213 Filed June 14, 1965, Ser. No. 463,635 6 Claims. (Cl. 29474) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sling assemblies.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a sling assembly utilizing a belt-type sling, and also to provide in combination with such a sling a noval choker member operative on the sling to cinch the latter around a load.

Another object is to provide a sling assembly employing a choker member having a first aperture therein arranged to slidably receive a belt-type sling and having a second aperture which opens through a side edge thereof to form a hook arranged to be engaged by a looped end of the belt-type sling.

Another object is to provide a sling assembly utilizing a novel shackle arranged to connect a belt-type sling with lifting means and more particularly to provide such a shackle having means automatically gripping the belt-type sling when a downward pull exists on the belt; and more particularly to provide a shackle of the type described having a lever supported thereon which is arranged to provide slidable length adjustment of the sling when desired but which is arranged to hold the sling securely in the shackle when a lifting force is applied thereto.

Still another object is to provide a novel sling assembly employing a spreader bar and a pair of belt-type slings attached to opposite ends of the spreader bar and each associated with a choker member engageable with respective belts for cinching them around the load.

Briefly stated, the present invention relates in particular to a sling assembly which utilizes belts for encircling a load. The assembly employs a spreader bar and a pair of belt-type slings attached to opposite ends of the spreader bar. Each of these slings is associated with a shackle for attaching it to the spreader bar and a choker member of a structure capable of cinching the sling around the load when a lifting force is applied to the spreader bar. As will be more apparent hereinafter, a modified form of shackle is provided which has means for adjusting the length of the sling and for automatically gripping and holding the sling when a load lifting force is applied to the latter.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view in reduced form with relation to the other views of sling means embodying features of the present invention and showing the sling assembly attached to a load;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, of a shackle which is utilized herein for connecting the belt-type sling to the spreader bar, taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing in particular the choker member which serves to cinch the belttype sling around the load, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view similar to FIGURE 2 3,343,862 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 but showing a modified form of shackle for connecting the belt-type sling to lifting means; and

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown a belt sling assembly embodying features of the present invention. The sling assembly comprises a spreader bar 10 attached to a lifting hook 12 on a hoist line, not shown, by means of branch lines .14 and shackles 16 connected to opposite ends of the spreader bar. Also connected to opposite ends of the spreader bar but disposed in depending relation are shackles 1 8 in turn supporting shackles 20. These latter shackles are of special construction in that they have sufiicient width, also seen in FIGURE 2, for connection to belts 22. For the purpose of attaching the belts 22 to the shackles 20, the-latter have cross pins 24 and the belts have loops 26 provided in one end thereof. Shackles 20 also have reinforcing cross bars 28 secured to the legs thereof upward from the cross pin 24.

The belt 22 may be of conventional construction such as Dacron or nylon, and associated with each belt in the formation of end slings is a choker member 32, FIG- URES 1, 3, 4, and 5. These choker members comprise a substantially flat body portion 34 with opposite side edges 36 and 38, respectively. Choker members 32 have first transversely disposed apertures 40 therethrough of sufficient length and width to slidably receive the belt 22. These choker members also have second transversely disposed apertures 42-which open through the side edges '38 and form hooks 44. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the apertures 42 in the choker members are of sufilcient length and width for mounting therein the looped portions 46 on the ends of the belts opposite from looped ends 26. The ends of the hooks 44 are provided with projections 48 extending partially into the apertures 42, these projections serving to hold the looped ends 46 'of the belt on the hooks. Also, as seen in FIGURE 3, the defining edges 50 of the apertures 42 opposite from the belt engaging edges 52'are inclined relative to the latter to provide suitable openings with clearance relative to the projections 48 for easy attachment and detachment of the looped ends 46 of the belts from the hooks 44.

. As best seen in FIGURE 4, the longitudinal surfaces of the hook portion 44 are tapered inwardly at 54 to conform generally to the contour of the loop 46 and thus eliminate any sharp edges in the area ofengagement by said loop.

In the operation of the sling, the choker members are mounted 'on the belts 22 by insertion of the looped ends 46 through the apertures 40, it being assumed that the other looped ends 26 of the belt are suitably connected to the shackles 20. The free ends of the belts are brought around the load with the choker members first being positioned at the upper portion of the load. The looped ends 46 are then engaged over the hooks 44 by movement into the apertures 42. With the looped ends of the belts 22 thus mounted on the hooks, they will be maintained thereon against accidental displacementlby the projections 48. Upon a tensioning force being applied to the belts 22 by means of the lifting means, the belts will be cinched up around the load by the choker members and a secure non-damaging engagement is provided on the load.

Although the present disclosure illustrates a pair of slings on a common spreader bar, it is to be understood that in some cases a single belt 22 may be utilized for lifting a load, in which case there will be no necessity of utilizing a spreader bar and the shackles 20 may have direct connection with a single one of the shackles 16 or even a direct connection with the hook 12.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of shackle 20a which instead of having connection with a looped 3 end 26 of the belt as shown in FIGURE 1 has means for gripping an unlooped end of the belt for providing length adjustment of the belt therethrough. For this purpose, the

cross pin 24 of the shackle 20a rotatably supports a sleeve 56 to which is secured as by welding a pair of rounded projections 58 and 60. The projections 58 and 60 are secured to the sleeve 56 in longitudinal parallel relation therewith, and as best seen in FIGURE 7 these projections are located approximately 130- from each other around the sleeve 56 and the belt 22 is reeved in the shackle by passing it over the two projections, the projection 60 extending forwardly beyond the front of the shackle. With the particular arrangement of the projections 58 and 60, it is apparent that when a downward pull is applied to the forwardly reeved portion of the belt the sleeve 56 and its projections are urged rotatably in a clockwise direction. The projections 58 and 60 thus form a lever construction for a purpose now to be described.

Cross bar 28 of this shackle construction is located selectively such that when the sleeve 56 is rotated and the belt is reeved in the shackle, the projection 58 is arranged to pinch or force the belt against the cross bar 28. Thus, when a downward pull is applied on the forwardly reeved end of the belt 22 the sleeve 56 will be rotated to the point where the projection 58 secures the belt against longitudinal movement by pinching it against the cross bar 28. If it is desired to shorten the length of the belt between the shackle 20a and the load, the belt is merely pulled rearwardly therethrough. For lengthening the portion of the belt between the shackle and the load, however, the sleeve 56 must first be manually rotated a slight amount in a counterclockwise direction to allow the belt to move forwardly therethrough.

Secured to the projection 60' at the front of the shackle is a rectangular guide frame 62 having upper and lower members 64 and 66, respectively, and integral end members 68. The purposes of the guide frame 62 are, first, to guide the belt properly into the shackle; second, to provide a hand grip for manually rotating the sleeve 56 when it is desired to slide the belt forwardly therethrough; and third, as apparent in FIGURE 7, to hold the free or loose end of the belt out of the way by threading it over the bottom frame member 66.

The present invention comprises a sling assembly designed particularly for use with a belt-type sling 22 which has the important advantage that it can engage a load without damaging the load. The choker members 32 provide for rapid connection of the slings to the load, comprising merely hooking the looped ends of the belts '46 on the books 44-. For releasing the sling from the load, the loops 46 are disengaged from their hooks 44 and then the belts pulled out from under the load.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sling assembly comprising a belt having a pair of ends, one end of said belt having a loop therein, a choker member having a body portion with opposite end edges, said choker member having an eye in said body portion slidably receiving said belt and having a hook in said body portion for hooking engagement by said loop whereby to form a sling arranged to be cinched around a load upon upward movement of the other end of said belt, a shackle arranged to be connected to a hoisting apparatus, a lever rotatably mounted on said shackle, said lever having a pair of opposite ends over which the said other end of said belt slidably extends in a non-lifting condition of the sling assembly and an abutment bar on said shackle adjacent one end of said lever, said one end of said lever being arranged to force said belt against said abutment bar upon rotation of said lever by engagement of the other end of said lever by said belt in a lifting condition of the sling assembly whereby to hold said belt against longitudinal movement in said shackle.

2. In a belt sling structure, a shackle, means on said shackle for connecting it to hoisting apparatus, a lever rotatably mounted on said shackle, said lever having a pair of opposite ends over which a belt is arranged to freely extend and cause rotation of said lever upon tensioned force being applied to the belt, and an abutment bar on said shackle adjacent one of said ends of the lever, said one end of the lever being arranged to force the belt against said abutment bar upon rotation of said lever by engagement of said other end of the lever by the belt whereby to hold the belt against longitudinal movement in said shackle.

3. The belt sling structure of claim 2 wherein said shackle includes shaft means on which said lever is rotatable.

4. The belt sling structure of claim 2 wherein the ends of said lever comprise rounded elongated projections.

5. The belt sling structure of claim 2 including a guide frame secured to said lever for receiving the belt and holding it selectively on said lever.

6. A load engaging assembly comprising a spreader bar, a sling disposed adjacent each end of said spreader bar, each of said slings including a belt having a pair of ends, one end of said belts being connected to respective ends of said spreader bar and the other ends of said belts having a loop formed by folding the said other end back upon itself and securing overlapped portions thereof together, and a choker member for each belt, said choker members each having a body portion with a pair of opposite side edges, and means in said body portion defining eyes slidably receiving respective ones of said belts, said body portions having openings extending thereinto from one of their side edges, said loops comprising the terminal ends of said other ends of the belts and being arranged to have detachable hooking engagement with the hooks of respective ones of said choker members to form slings arranged to be cinched around the load upon upward movement of the said one end of said belts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,490,066 4/ 1924 Carr 294-74 X 1,824,027 9/ 1931 Lindquist 294-74 2,486,827 11/ 1949 Duncan 294-74 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. G. F, ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SLING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BELT HAVING A PAIR OF ENDS, ONE END OF SAID BELT HAVING A LOOP THEREIN, A CHOKER MEMBER HAVING A BODY PORTION WITH OPPOSITE END EDGES, SAID CHOKER MEMBER HAVING AN EYE IN SAID BODY PORTION SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID BELT AND HAVING A HOOK IN SAID BODY PORTION FOR HOOKING ENGAGEMENT BY SAID LOOP WHEREBY TO FORM A SLING ARRANGED TO BE CINCHED AROUND A LOAD UPON UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER END OF SAID BELT, A SHACKLE ARRANGED TO BE CONNECTED TO A HOISTING APPARATUS, A LEVER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHACKLE, SAID LEVER HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE ENDS OVER WHICH THE SAID OTHER END OF SAID BELT SLIDABLY EXTENDS IN 